Public Transportation...

So I’ve reflected a lot on public transportation here…and how much I dislike it. Dislike is a very mild description, but in keeping this blog PG, we’ll go with it. From riding in a small taxi with 15 people and a chicken, to 32 hours on a bus without a seat, to people getting sick and babies crying, to being hustled at the bus stand and getting ripped off on the price just because I’m mzungu…the list goes on. Sometimes I wonder why I thought it would be a good idea to travel across East Africa using public transportation, given my severe hatred for it. But here’s another story for you. 

Travelling from Bukoba to Ngara on the day before returning home to the bush, was quite the adventure. Let me paint a picture for you: Marisa had her backpack plus 3 side bags. I had my backpack, plus one large side bag of clothes/shoes, plus another side bag with 22 lbs of rice and a volleyball. We’re not mobile is what I’m trying to say, but if your rice had rocks in it, you would carry 22lbs across country borders to eat happily for the next 5 months too. So keeping this in mind, now picture us waking up at 5:30am, calling our new piki piki driver friend to take us to the bus stand on the back of a motorcycle (well, one motorcycle each). It’s too much already…thankfully, Amir was very friendly, and since there wasn’t a direct bus to Ngara that day, he helped us find the one we needed to get onto, got us good seats, and the right price! I love simply being helped, rather than being hassled. Especially at 6am when I have 22lbs of rice. Ha.

So we were off on the bus to an unknown city, where we would allegedly take a small coaster bus to Ngara. The bus man knew we were heading to Ngara, so he actually set us up with a taxi. Nice! Except we were the only two in the taxi, so we drove around this random town like the wazungu on parade looking for more passengers. Finally, we were off, and quite comfortable actually! We stopped at one point to pile a bunch of students in the trunk to drop them at school with large sacks of dirt. After an hour or two, we were ushered into the front seat of another taxi. Always a production, since I still have 22 lbs of rice! While a little less comfortable since Marisa was on my lap and it was 100 degrees and the rode was full of GIANT potholes, I felt like I was in a real life game of Mario Kart….

All is fun and games until the car breaks down though. Which of course it did. In the middle of nowhere. PERFECT. This was the point that I realized all I had eaten was 4 small bananas that I bought out the window of the bus that morning, but luckily I had 2 more bananas to eat…yum. The driver and some of the men did their best to fix whatever was wrong, however the general solution to any car problem here is to just pour water and try again. Somehow, it actually works most of the time, but usually the car is running at the time of pouring…And since our car was not running, the water was not helping. After, oh, maybe an hour or so? A small coaster coming from Kahama and heading to Ngara came along, and of course one of our bus man friends was on it and SO excited to see us. The bus was able to jump the taxi, but we were able to squeeze into the back of the bus for the rest of the journey. Probably for the best for our safety.  Just one last piki ride to Alex and Sue’s house, and we were in for the night. Such relief!

So after 1 piki piki ride, a bus ride, two taxi rides, a coaster ride and another piki ride….we made it to Ngara! PHEWWWWW. That’s 6 modes of transportation with 22lbs of rice over my shoulder and 6 bananas in my stomach for 9 hours… in case you lost track.

Needless to say, I was really happy to be one day away from home. I can only handle this craziness for so long, before I actually go crazy.  I’ll have a much greater appreciation for my own car when I get back to America, that’s for sure. 

only 2600 miles of adventures

...4,359 kilometers (approximately 2,615 miles), 10 cities, 3 countries, 34 days, 3 bags, 22lbs of rice, 1 broken foot, hundreds of pictures, lots of new friends, too many bus rides, and so many adventures I don’t even know where to begin! To put this into perspective, the US is about 3,000 miles across, so really, we could have practically made it from the east coast to the west coast...Any who, break was, well, unforgettable. While it seemed like a perfectly normal adventure here, I suppose it’s not everyday that you have the opportunity to backpack across East Africa, exploring its cities, meeting its people, and enjoying the culture, language, food and atmosphere that make up the beauty of life here. While we hit some rough patches along the way (ahem, Christmas…my broken foot…other things I would rather not remember) I can look back and say that I’m happy for the rest of it!

A few things I’ve learned along the way first:

--Pack less. If you think you don’t have much, get rid of half of it.

--Have patience. Because when everything is going wrong, there’s probably not much you can do about it anyways. Then say a prayer, call mom, and laugh about it.

--Have a back up plan. Or be ready to spend the day simply wandering in circles.

--Don’t be afraid to talk to people. I still struggle with this one, because even in America, I really don’t like to randomly strike up conversations with people. But when travelling through foreign places, you really don’t have a choice. Lucky enough for me, not only did I have to talk to all these random people, but I had to try speaking my limited Swahili with them. Ohhhhh yes. I’m getting better at it, but it really goes against my nature. I just keep telling myself that it’s good for me. But I’m still not convinced.

--Enjoy the city. But only for a few days. And then be very grateful when you’re back in the quiet of the bush. Like talking to strangers, cities are also against my nature, so it while it was a good stretch for me personally, I’m happy to be back.

And you know what, in all honesty, I really AM happy to be back in Muyenzi. While I could never permanently live here (I actually do need an electrical plug more consistently in my life), it’s a really nice way to unwind after a month of travelling craziness. But in all the craziness, here’s a list of my top ten travel memories:

10. Dar es Salaam, TZ.

Mostly kicking off our holiday by stepping off the 32 hour bus ride into the craziest bus stand ever was the worst thing in the world. To be honest, I don’t really like Dar at all, and then Marisa accidentally stepped on my toe and I painfully lost my toenail…So actually, I don’t know how Dar is on my list at all…oh, wait, it’s taking the place of Christmas on Diani Beach. Because losing my toenail was actually better than spending Christmas alone. No worries though, it’s only up from here!

9. Bukoba, TZ.

I actually really liked Bukoba, but it didn’t really have the same flair as everywhere else. It was a lovely place to visit, but considering it was at the very end of our trip, I really just wanted to be home, so it was hard to fully appreciate the beauty of this city on Lake Victoria.

8. Arusha, TZ.

Arusha was pretty cool. Visiting the Rwandan Genocide Tribunal and riding a camel are pretty cool things I suppose. It just seems like so long ago! So it’s not making it any higher on this list.

7. Kampala, Uganda.

While Kampala has a lot to offer, I wasn’t really a fan of taking a motorcycle through insane big-city traffic to get everywhere. And although the food was wonderful (Korean, Indian, Chinese, Italian, American…yum!), there didn’t seem to be much else to do in the city. The Bwaise slum tour was really amazing, and I loved seeing that part of the city, but otherwise we didn’t do much. If I ever have the chance to go back, when I can walk again, I would love to explore some of Uganda’s national parks. That’s one of the few regrets I have about our holiday, but considering we were there after a month of travelling, I was really just ready to get back home.

6. Nakuru, Kenya.

While Nakuru didn’t have much to offer as a city, I did get to see a leopard and a lion! Dream come true for sure!

5. Moshi, TZ!

Moshi was great, as far as Tanzanian cities go. And we got to hike on Mount Kilimanjaro, which was certainly an adventure of a lifetime!

4. Kisumu, Kenya.

Meeting up with Sarah, David and Steve was a nice change of pace. We were able to ring in the New Year together as we lived it up at a dance party on the rooftop of our hotel. Good times! I also had the pleasure of enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich, sizzling brownie and Oreo milkshake for dinner one night at Laughing Buddha, so I’m actually surprised Kisumu isn’t higher on my list…

3. Mombasa, Kenya.

As far as cities go, Mombasa was really great. I loved that we were able to walk around everywhere, explore the markets, enjoy good food, and our hotel even had air conditioning, so no complaints here!

2. Zanzibar, TZ.

Seriously so great! Stone Town was by far the best place to walk around and explore. Not to mention the amazing beaches, ancient tortoises, delicious international cuisine, and booming nightlife! I’ll certainly be back some day!

1. Jinja, Uganda.

LOVED it! Minus the red dust everywhere, Jinja was my favorite city on our EA tour. It was a very relaxed city, no one was in a rush and people were all so friendly. There was a nice expat population, with a mix of adventure-seekers and people doing mission work. And forgetting that I broke my foot (which btw still hurts), I was able to white water raft on the Nile River. Now that’s CRAZY!

Bwaise: A Slum Tour

Marisa and I took a tour of one of the largest slums in Uganda this morning. Here's my reflection of the reality that is life in Bwaise...

Walking through Kampala’s largest slum, Bwaise, puts a whole new perspective on the world we live in. It’s hard to put into words what I witnessed as we meandered through the houses and shops and schools. And it’s even harder to put into words the emotions I felt through it all. The reality is simultaneously heart-breaking and joyful. Wonderful, yet horrifying. My heart was breaking into a million pieces, while also feeling at peace. I don’t know how to feel or what to feel…sympathy? Grace? Wonder? Shock? I really don’t know…so maybe if I just write it out and share all that I can with you, we’ll come to the some conclusion together.

The tour began as we boarded a bus with our guide, a local 27-year-old man who was born in the slums, grew up in the slums, and now works in the slums. And now I think I need to use a new word to describe this place, because I think “slum” has a very negative and dirty connotation, and I don’t know that it was all negative. So our guide took us to Bwaise, the area of the city deamed “slum”, and Marisa and I along with a family of three volunteers from Australia and a man from Prague explored the area. The main road through the city appears just as any other city street, lined with shops, people bustling everywhere, and motorcycles, cars and buses driving around like crazy. Once you break from the main road and head behind the shops, you find a whole community of people. We were able to walk around, play with the children who ran after us shouting “Mzuuuungu!”, take pictures, and share in conversations with locals.

To be completely honest, there have been multiple points lately when I’ve really wanted to come home. Like, if I could get on a plane tomorrow, I would. But seeing all of the children, the joy in their faces, the pure happiness they get from a high five or a picture, reminded me what drew me here in the first place: those beautiful faces of the children at Oonte in Namibia. Precious. While I may not know exactly why I’m still here, at least I remember why I came in the first place…

During the tour, we visited 2 different primary schools, both in very good condition. It’s promising to see the community taking pride in the education of their children, and while the schools still need help with funding and things, I am hopeful for the students who are able to attend. Class sizes are between 30 and 40 each, and every grade has a teacher. Students learn in English all the way through primary school, and one of the schools even had a very nice dormitory for the boys and girls to stay at.

We also saw a few of the local churches, which is always a highlight for me. YAY GOD!

GOD IS GOOD, all the time! :)

Next on the list of things to see are all of the water sources. Several organizations around the world have provided different wells/pumps. It’s really good to see that these people have access to clean water, although they have to pay for each jug. Which means that some families aren’t able to buy clean water, and instead use the water that flows out of various pipes. Granted this is still a relatively good option for people, and it’s a much closer walk for everyone here compared to life in Muyenzi. Good things! Good good things!

Also, I should mention the prevalence of electricity. It’s actually everywhere. WHAT! How great is that?

So far life here seems pretty good doesn’t it? “Slum” isn’t fitting…

However, the next step has heart-break written all over it. The sex slave industry here is rampant. You always hear the statistics about the number of women around the world who are involved, and truthfully, it doesn’t mean much until you actually experience it. We were told to put our cameras away because the women don’t like being in photos, and we as continued walking through the alleyways, and I really had no idea what to expect. Certainly nothing glamorous. And actually, if we wouldn’t have stopped, I would have passed right on by without even knowing that I was passing a home where women sell themselves. But we stopped, and our guide began to give us some details: like how 30% of women between 16 and 40 are involved in Bwaise, and how men will pay 1000 Ugandan shillings (less than 40 cents in the US), and how they distribute condoms to the women in hopes of trying to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS but that sometimes men will refuse and pay more money for sex without a condom. And as this information is all being relayed to me, he turns to enter the room, before realizing that it’s busy…so we wait a few more minutes, play with some of the kids outside, and then three men walk out, followed by three women… This is real. This is happening. I was in shock. And then we walked into the room. It had four beds, each surrounded by sheets, and each used way too many times a day by way too many people. This is the moment my heart began to break. Like I said, you hear the statistics, but it’s nothing until you see it happening, and then you don’t know if you want to be sick, ball your eyes out, or go numb and forget the whole thing. My response was to send as many prayers to our heavenly Father as humanly possible, but still, I wish there was more that could be done.

As we continued on, we passed several more “rooms,” with several more men and women “working,” with several more children running around like nothing is happening. Literally breaking my heart.

So that’s that. And now you know how real it is. I wish there was something more that could be done. But I don’t know what to tell you. I think I need more time to process it all…

Back to happy things. I will one day adopt a beautiful baby from Africa. Our last stop was at a small orphanage, where the children were being fed ugali and fish! While some were nakey, they were still the most adorable children ever, and of course they helped put my heart back together. Slowly but surely….one day at a time…one day…

What's up Nile River!

White water raft on the Nile River? Why not. This is certainly one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, so Marisa and I figured we better just go for it. While I was literally scared out of my mind, afraid I would pee my pants, and anxious about going overboard, the moment I got in the boat there was no turning back. Within minutes, I was voted to sit at the front to be a strong paddler, and shortly after that our guide pushed all of us overboard so we could practice getting back on the raft after we inevitably flip out. Awesome. And while we signed up for grade 3 rapids, we quickly realized we were in it to win it, because our guide was ready go hard on all the rapids. As we hit the first rapids, which were grade 5, and we flew down a sizable waterfall, I was simultaneously loving my life and hating my life. It was so insane!

We did four rapids before lunch and four after lunch. While I somehow managed to get down, hold on, and stay in the raft for all the rapids, I was still completely obliterated by crazy volumes of water because I was sitting in the front. Unfortunately, come the sixths round of rapids, we hit a huge wall of water, I flew into the air, my foot got stuck in the raft, and I landed on it sideways…pop. Instantaneously I got a purple goose egg on the side of my foot and had to be moved to the safety boat for the final 2 rapids. Pretty sure it’s broken. Wonderful. Kind of like that time I fell down the stairs on my way to school..but at least this is a way cooler story to tell! Needless to say, we’re spending a few extra days in Jinja before heading to Kampala, where we will most likely have to forego the chimpanzee trekking unfortunately. But honestly, Jinja is one of the best places we’ve been to so far, so I can’t say that I really mind spending a few extra days here. We’re at Nalubale Tea House, staying with other wazungu friends that we’ve made, and it’s a very relaxing place to be. Plus, everyone here has taken great care of my poor foot.

Here's a little glimpse of the action on the river! 

I'm in the front left :)

 complete obliteration...

looking at these pictures, I wonder how in the world I was able to actually stay on the raft the whole time....

Here's our whole group with our guide!

 where is anyone??? again...how did i manage to stay on?

 hanging on for dear life....

 notice that only marisa and I survived this one, haha!

Literally the most awesome/craziest thing I've ever done.

And would I do it again? Well, I might deny it the whole time and have multiple freak out moments, but in reality, I would certainly do it all over again!! :)